Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE - Residents will pay more for sewer service after the town council gave final approval to a $2 per month increase Tuesday.
The 6.4 percent increase takes the residential sewage rate homeowners will now pay to $31 per month. Businesses and other non-dwelling sewer users will pay a corresponding percentage increase as well, according to Council President Brent Wilcoxson.
The rate hike was necessitated by an increase in the cost of sewage treatment, which is provided by Warsaw.
"We have these expenses and we have to meet those expenses somehow," said Councilman Harold Dunn. "We have to raise the rates."
The town has grappled with the sewage issue for more than a year. The town's sewage treatment bill from Warsaw has nearly doubled since a new volume meter was installed to monitor the flow into Warsaw's system. The 1998 sewage treatment bill is expected to top $250,000.
Wilcoxson said while the increase is necessary, the council has been a good steward of the town's finances, citing a 16 percent decrease in property taxes over the past five years.
"We have been responsible for lowering the property tax rate and we don't want to raise the sewage rates, but we have to do it," he said.
The increase comes after all other viable options were examined and ruled out, Councilman Randy Ruppel said.
"We tried to make a fair decision on the rates. It was researched, it was studied, and we came to what we feel is a fair compromise between the lowest and highest increase," he said.
Wilcoxson said the council also considered using the town's reserve funds instead of increasing the sewage rates, but that wasn't a viable, long-term alternative.
"We have some reserve funds available, but those are to be used for repairs and improvements," he said. "Our operational costs require that we have this increase to $31."
In other business, the council approved an additional appropriation request by the Winona Lake Fire Department for repairs on the water tanker. The additional appropriation was given a not-to-exceed limit of $8,000.
The council also approved the town's proposed 1999 budget. The proposed tax rate is $2.55 per $100 of assessed evaluation, with a maximum levy of $717,272.
The council received a bid of $52,994 from Beer & Slabaugh, Inc. of Nappanee for a road project at Grace Avenue and Oak Street. Beer & Slabaugh submitted the only bid.
